There are a bunch of reformed spinach-haters out there. Broccoli and sauerkraut also apparently ranked low on your lists when you were youngsters. At least, that’s the message we got from readers who sent ideas for this month’s recipe contest: Foods You’ve Grown To Love. The main occupants of your culinary doghouses were a variety of veggies, which we’ve all grown up to love now, right?
I wonder whether it was not the veggies we all hated, but the way they were prepared. These recipes just might make once-hated foods a must-have in your house.
Our taste testers loved Rosalie A. Peters’ rich quiche that would be appropriate for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The spinach is just an added bonus.

—Kevin Hargis, Food Editor

1 pie crust, unbaked
5 extra large eggs
1 cup whipping cream
12 ounces cream cheese
2 cups grated Swiss cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated jalapeño jack cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 cups fresh spinach, stems removed
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons chopped green onion, white portion only
1 small Roma tomato, seeded and thinly sliced
Generous sprinkling of paprika

Put pie crust in a 10-inch deep-dish glass or ceramic pie dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prick bottom of crust with fork and bake, unfilled, for 10 minutes. Remove crust and reduce oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except tomato, 1 cup Swiss cheese and paprika and mix well. Pour into pie shell and return to oven. Bake 35 to 45 minutes. In the meantime, dry tomato slices on paper towel. Remove partially baked quiche from oven and top with tomato slices, then remaining Swiss cheese, then paprika and return to oven. Bake another 10 minutes or until knife inserted in center of quiche comes out clean. Serve immediately. Serves eight.

Serving size: 1 slice. Per serving: 510 calories, 20.7 g protein, 39.5 g fat, 13.8 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 587 mg sodium, 247 mg cholesterol.

Rosalie A. Peters, Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative